Students for Concealed Carry is a student-run, national, non-partisan organization which advocates for legal concealed carry on college campuses in the United States as an effective means of self-defense.

AUSTIN, TEXAS – Today marks both the one-year anniversary of campus carry at Texas universities and the first day of campus carry at Texas junior/community colleges. Students for Concealed Carry (SCC) celebrates the fact that, 366 days afterTexas Senate Bill 11 legalized the licensed, concealed carry of handguns at four-year institutions of higher education, not a single university has reported a resulting assault, suicide attempt, fatality, or injury. We hope this track record will inspire university regents, state legislators, and the Office of the Attorney General to work to strike down the handful of university policies that continue to circumvent the clear intent of SB 11 by prohibiting many—and in some cases all—license to carry (LTC) holders from carrying concealed handguns on campus.

Although opponents of campus carry still challenge the wisdom and efficacy of SB 11, claiming that the law is unnecessary and that it poses a greater risk at two-year colleges where high school students may be dual-enrolled, such claims ignore both the intent of the law and the relevant facts. The evidence strongly suggests that campus carry has had no ill effect on four-year universities, and we have every reason to expect the same result at two-year colleges.

In other news, today marks a transition in SCC’s leadership. Quinn Cox, an incoming junior who previously served as vice president of SCC’s campus chapter at the University of Texas at Austin, will assume the role of Southwest regional director. Cox takes over for outgoing regional director Brian Bensimon, who held the position during the 2016-2017 school year. Bensimon, who served as SCC’s director for the state of Texas before being promoted to regional director, will remain on as a senior advisor to SCC’s state chapter.

Incoming director Cox commented:

Today marks an important milestone for Texas’ campus carry law. Contrary to critics’ predictions, college life hasn’t changed much in the Lone Star State—as has been the case in every other state that allows the licensed, concealed carry of handguns on college campuses, time has shown the law to be a non-issue. Today also marks an important milestone for me personally. I am honored to accept the regional director position, and I look forward to continuing the fight for campus carry in Texas. I applaud my predecessor for the leadership and guidance he brought to the role, and I will do my best to continue his steadfast commitment to the cause.

Outgoing director Bensimon stated:

I will be forever grateful for the opportunity I had in serving as SCC’s Southwest regional director, but I leave the position knowing that the organization will be in good hands with Quinn Cox. Cox worked behind the scenes for months to help build our local chapter at UT and, in doing so, demonstrated poise, diligence, and a firm grasp of the issue. Quinn is exceedingly qualified to lead Texas into the next era of campus carry, and I have full trust and confidence in his abilities.

Michael Newbern, SCC assistant director of public relations, added:

Bensimon performed admirably as a regional director and always acted with grace and diplomacy. We are sure to miss his day-to-day contributions to SCC, but we are glad to retain him as a senior advisor. Although Bensimon will be missed, we are glad that we have found someone as capable and qualified as Cox to help lead our organization. Campus carry advocates can rest assured that this student-led movement is in good hands.

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ABOUT STUDENTS FOR CONCEALED CARRY — Students for Concealed Carry (SCC) is a national, non-partisan, grassroots organization comprising college students, faculty, staff, and concerned citizens who believe that holders of state-issued concealed handgun licenses should be allowed the same measure of personal protection on college campuses that current laws afford them virtually everywhere else. SCC is not affiliated with the NRA or any other organization. For more information on SCC, visit ConcealedCampus.org or Facebook.com/ConcealedCampus. For more information on the debate over campus carry in Texas, visit WhyCampusCarry.com.

(Columbus, Ohio) – Last week Students for Concealed Carry Foundation, Inc. won a strategic victory in its lawsuit challenging The Ohio State University’s authority to ban lawful possession of firearms by students, faculty, staff, and other affiliates on its campuses.

Marion County Common Pleas Judge Jim Slagle ruled in the group’s favor in response to Ohio State’s motion to dismiss, affirming their legal standing to bring suit against the university.

Judge Slagle ruled that Michael Newbern, plaintiff, has standing as a continuing education student to challenge the student code of conduct and as a contract faculty member to challenge the Human Resources Policy, both of which broadly ban firearms on campus. A violation of either firearms ban carries heavy penalties.

“Expulsion from Ohio State for a firearms related incident carries severe consequences for a law-abiding student including an academic record blemish that can virtually guarantee the disciplined student may never earn an accredited degree.” Michael R. Moran, a Columbus attorney representing the plaintiffs said., “For the faculty member who’s devoted his or her life to academia, such a disciplinary action would be career ending.”

Students for Concealed Carry Foundation, joined by Ohioans for Concealed Carry, believes that Ohio State’s campus gun ban unlawfully infringes on fundamental constitutional rights. It also disarms students to and from campus, leaving them vulnerable to violent crime on their commute in what is historically a high crime area, the University District. While Ohio law permits a concealed handgun licensee to store a firearm in a motor vehicle on OSU’s campuses, a student could face administrative sanctions from the university including expulsion due to certain provisions in the Student Code of Conduct. Standing of both groups was also affirmed in Judge Slagle’s ruling.

“The Ohio Revised Code is clear that the legislature retains sole authority to regulate the possession of firearms.” Moran’s co-counsel Derek DeBrosse of Barney DeBrosse, LLC said. “Ohio State’s policies are in direct violation of the law. The law and the Constitution are clear; no person should have to choose between his or her right to selfdefense and education or career.”

Students for Concealed Carry Foundation, Inc. is a nationwide, non-partisan student organization founded to perform scholarly legal and public policy research, to educate the public concerning issues of civil liberties pertaining to firearms at postsecondary educational institutions through conferences and other media, and to engage in legal action when necessary to fulfill the objectives of the organization.

Ohioans for Concealed Carry, founded in 1999, is an all-volunteer, grassroots organization dedicated to preserving and expanding the rights of all law-abiding gun owners in Ohio.

AUSTIN, TEXAS – When Students for Concealed Carry (SCC) was approached last July by a young reporter from Rolling Stone magazine, we were skeptical. Rolling Stone is known for pandering to trendy views, not challenging them. However, the reporter promised that his article on the campus carry movement would be a long-form piece based on […]

AUSTIN, TEXAS – On Monday, February 20, the Texas State University Student Senate passed S.R. 2016-2017.14, “A Resolution to Allow Campus Wide Concealed Carry,” on a vote of 27 to 5. This resolution, which asks university administrators to repeal the institution’s current restrictions on campus carry, will now go to the student body president, who […]

AUSTIN, TEXAS – On the first day of any college statistics class, students are taught a simple principle: Correlation does not equal causation. The understanding that one event preceding another is not the same as one event causing another is considered sacred by scientists but sometimes forgotten by journalists. When a journalist for The Houston Chronicle […]

AUSTIN, TEXAS – If you were producing a short documentary about Texas’ campus carry law, wouldn’t you want the input of the student-led organization that started the campus carry movement, solicited the support of both the National Rifle Association and its state affiliates, and popularized the phrase “campus carry“? This apparently wasn’t a priority for […]